Improvement in iron bridges



1. .d z. wALL.

Bron Bridges.

Patented Feb. 24,1874.

NITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN WALDAND ZIMRI WALL, OF WILMINGTON, OHIO.

`IIvIPRovrIvIEnr IN IRON BRIDGES. l

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,010, dated February 24, 1874; application filed December 1, 1,873.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known thatwe, J. WALL and Z. WALL, of Wilmington, in the county of Clinton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridges; and we do herebyV declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a side view of main arch. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of part of main arch. Fig. 3 is an under-side view of chord and clevis.

This invention hasrelation to certain improvements in wrought-iron arched bridges; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts, including the arches, bracerods, gas-pipe casing to brace-rods, fastenin gs, shoes, and chords, all as hereinafter described.

, Referring to the accompanying drawings, A Adesignate the abutments, supporting the side arches B. The latter describe true segments of a circle, and are each composed of three concentrically-arran ged plates, b, of wrought-iron, bent to a horizontal position at their ends to iit the shoes C. The spaces at the end of the arch, between 'the horizontal portions of the plates b, are lled with iron in the form of blocks a, having sides and ends rectangular, so as to ll the Acavities of the shoes. The outer ends of the shoes are of semicircular form, and the spaces between said ends and the blocks a suitablyr filled, as shown at c, Fig. 2. D designates the arch ties or chords, consisting, for each arch B, of two parallel plates of wrought iron, placed sufficiently distant apart for the passage of the braces c c1. These plates terminate at a short distance from the ends oi' the arches, and are connected to the loops or clevises E Eby means of transverse bolts c2. By means of said loops the ties D are connected'to the. shoes, the loops, which are formed each of a single plate of wroughtiron, of the width and thickness of the tieplates, being bent around the shoes at their bases, 4and converged ,toward their inner ends, which terminate in parallel extensions c3, embracing the tie-plates, as shown. The loops rest upon the projecting edges of the shoebases c4. c e1 designate the braces, through which the body of the bridge is supported by the arches. g designates the braces of the arch-plates. The braces c are radial, and pass through the arch-plates b and between the tieplates D, and also through flanged blocks g1, arranged below and embracing the tie-plates D. The ends of said braces c are threaded to receive the nuts f f 1, the former resting upon the collars or washers f2. The braces e1 are diagonally arranged. They pass through the arch-plates, and are fastened at their upper ends by nuts f3, resting on beveled collars or washers f4. The lower ends of the braces el are bent to form loops or eyes f5, through which pass transverse bolts ff", securing them between the plates of the ties, close to and on either side of the braces e. The braces e e1 pass through the arch-plates midway between their sides. `The braces `g are designed to strengthen the arch proper. They are arranged in two sets, one at each side of the arch, forming a double truss-support. Said 1 braces pass through the arch-plates, and are arranged in the zigzag relation shown in the drawings, and secured by means of nuts on their ends resting against collars or washers g2. H H designate tubular casings, embracing the rods c g between the plates of the arch. These casings are each formed in two sections, the ends of which rest against the two archplates, between which they are, respectively, arranged. strengthen the arch, and keep the arch-plates in the proper relations to each other. These casings are formed from gas-pipe, cut to the proper size, an item constituting an important feature of this invention, said pipe being available at comparatively slight cost, considering the advantage obtained. The collars or washers on the ends of the brace-rods may be also made from gas-pipe. Each section of the casing inelosing the braces g has a footing, i, at

one end, projecting from the side toward the adjacent section (similarly constructed) of the next rod-casing. The footings of the lower sections rest upon the lower plate of the arch, and those of the upper sections against the upper plate on the under side thereof. The' upper and lower footings bear, respectively, against each other, thus preventing the rods The object of the casing is, to-

from coming nearer together than necessary, and increasing the effectiveness of the braces. Instead of the collars upon the ends ot said braces g, double Washers I may be substituted, consisting of blocks of metal, concave on their under sides for the upper plate, and convex for .the lower, and beveled inwardly from each end on their outersides for the reception of the nuts, as shown. These double Washers are designed to resist or counteract the effect of strain tending to separate the brace-rods g.

The plate-braces at the ends of the arch, marked g3, may be radial, or approximately so, as shown. These braces pass through the lling-blocks, holding the same in place.

To obviate the dit'culty of boring oblique holes in the plates for the passage of the platebraces, We employ the means shown at h, Fig. 2, Vconsisting of the beveled filling or bushing, made of malleable iron, and of such a form that when inserted in holes bored straight through the plates, oblique apertures will 'e obtained for the passage ot' the brace-rods. The lilling or bushing is held in place by the ends of the casin g and the Washers on the ends ot' the rods.

The zigzag arch braces and the tubular casing inclosing the same are combined, as shown, so as to resist both compressive and tensile strain, the compressive strain being received by the casin g, Which is located in the line ot' said strain and between the plates, While the tensile strain acts upon the braces through the nuts f3, which are fastened thereon outside the arch.

Having fully described our invention, what We claim as new is l. Theimproved Wrought-iron arched bridge, having the arched pla-tes b, zigzag plate-braces g, radial and diagonal braces c el, chords D, and shoes C, combined substantially as specilied and shown.

2. The combination of the arch-plates, braces g, and tubular casing, the latter vbeing included between the arched plates, and said braces, With tubular casing, being arranged to resist both compressive and tensile strains, substantially as shown and described.

3. The tubular casing H', having the footings i, as and for the purpose described.

4. The filling-blocks a a, in combination With the arch-plates b b I),l substantially as shown and described.

5. The shoes C, constructed and arranged as shown and described, to receive the horizontal extensions of the arclrplates and sup port the bent plates or clevises E.

6. vThe filling h, in combination With the arch-plates b and zigzag arch-braces g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing We have hereunto set our hands this 30th day ot' August, 1873.

JONATHAN "WALL ZIMRI VALL.

Vvitnesses:

T. Q. HILDEBRANT, W. W. COLLINS. 

